By: Mike Cianciulli
All Photos: Tom Cozad / newportsurfshots.com

Fierce international competition, parades, national anthems, country flags, medals and . . . surfing. These elements rarely blend together. So this could only signify the first arrival of the Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championships to American soil since 1996, when the International Surfing Association (ISA) brought the World Surfing Games to this exact stretch of Huntington sand.

America knows the young Hawaiians are hot since their sect dominated the NSSA Nationals this past June. Last year, the USA Surf Team's silver medal effort in Tahiti held the Hawaiian squad to fourth. But the islander's showed up to the mainland ready to rock at the 2005 World Junior Champs hosted by Surfing America, which went down October 8th -16th.

Hawaii came in boasting big names like Clay Marzo and Carissa Moore which set the stage for the "Big Four" rivalry (Australia, USA, Brazil and Hawaii) in a week long dogfight for Gold Medals and national pride in the chest to head high plus conditions that blessed the south side of HB Pier all week long.

After nearly 5000 waves ridden, the final horn sounded and it was the Aloha State's team taking home the Gold. Brazil had jumped to runner up and the USA finished a respectable third, beating the defending world champs Australia (fourth).

"Some people say I have a social relationship with the ocean," ISA President Fernando Aguerre laughed, "because every event that we've done has had waves. It was very important for our surfing tribe to come to America this year because it is the heart of the surf industry, Surf City USA, and home of Quiksilver's headquarters."

Twenty-eight countries sent teams to compete in what many consider the Olympics of Surfing. Rightly so, as the ISA is the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recognized World Governing Authority for the sport of surfing. The gala event kicked off with a colorful parade of nations marching down the Huntington Beach Pier. Athletes strutted proudly, carrying flags and sporting their countries uniforms. By merely glancing down the beach, a stretch of flags -- groomed with morning Santa Ana's and afternoon onshores -- signaled the international importance of this peaceful gathering.

Peaceful in the sprit of surfing but by no means passive in the water - team members battled for the individual title of "World Junior Champion" as well as critical team points that held the importance of every heat surfed. Countries were aiming to take home the coveted IOC President's Trophy, exclusive to the sport of surfing. The heavy hitting Hawaiians claimed four of twelve finalist spots, compared to Brazil's three surfers, USA's two, Australia's two, and South Africa's one.

Kailua-Kona's Tonino Benson threw multiple speed punches on his way to edging out his HI teamer Clay Marzo in the Boys Under 16 final. After receiving a congratulatory cell phone call from mentor and fellow Big Islander Shane Dorian, Benson smiled, "Last year, I did horrible in this event but I've always wanted to be World Champion. I just said 'whatever' and just went out and surfed."

In the Boys Under 18 division, unsponsored Brazilian Jefferson Silva was on an aggressive tear all week long, throwing out powerful buckets of water as if the HB Pier was a sinking ship. He overtook USA's golden boy Tanner Gudauskas in a final exchange that moved Gudauskas from second to first and then -- after Silva's last gouging connection to the shorebreak -- right back to Silver.

Gudauskas won Copper (4th place) last year in Tahiti in the Under 16 division and came in to this older age bracket focused and determined. "I love surfing at home in front of family and friends. It feels good to hear cheers from the beach after a good ride, it made me that much more psyched to get out the back and get another wave."

USA Coach Peter Townend agreed. "You have to take your hat off to Tanner. To step up from a Copper in Under 16 and nearly win the Gold in the Under 18s -- in just one year -- is a remarkable feat."

Australia's Stephanie Gilmore, fresh off her first WCT victory, repeated by taking her second consecutive ISA Gold Medal. Once again Gilmore held off USA's Karina Petroni in the Women's Under 18 final, followed closely by Hawaiian's Carissa Moore (Bronze) and Lani Hunter (Copper).

All finalists stood proud on the winner's podiums holding their national flag, while the international crowd stood in respect as the champion's national anthems resounded over the P.A. following each medal presentation.

The event's international flavor sweetened the Huntington strand as numerous games of soccer, rugby, American football, volleyball, and paddleball broke down cultural barriers and united these young athletes in the Aloha Spirit. Many surfers traded T-shirts and jackets with countries they bonded with, for a remembrance of the 8 days that united the global surfing community right here in Surf City USA.

For full results, more photos and highlights check out the official website.